Increased Hairiness and Hirsutism

What increased hairiness?

There is no sharp distinction between normal and abnormal hairiness. Yet most a perception of what is normal hairiness for themselves.

Both men and women have male hormones, the difference lies in the amount of them. These are the hormones responsible for the development of body hair in the armpits and around the genitals in both sexes. If the level of male sex hormones are high enough, will be developed hairs on the face and, for example hair between the navel and pubic bone.

Excessive hair changes through life. It is especially in times of change of hormone amount in your body that this happens. During puberty the woman will develop hairy underarms and around the genital organ. At most, this, hairs remain unchanged until the menopause. After menopause, the woman change in the hormonal balance, which can contribute to the change of hair. It can for example be about thinning hair on the head and increased hairiness in the face. Such changes are normal.

The degree of hairiness on the body depends on heredity and race. Asians are rarely heavily furred, while people from the Middle East often have heavy and dark hair. The trend of body hair are inherited from the parents.

What is hirsutism?

When hair growth is increasing rapidly, becoming more powerful than expected, or begins a period of your life where you do not expect it, it may be abnormal. When women develop abnormal hairiness in places other than the armpit and abdomen, it is called hirsutism.

In the face there is often talk about body hair on the cheeks, upper lip and chin.

On the body there can be hair growth between the breasts, at the bottom of the stomach and on the back.

The hair growth on the arms and legs become more powerful.

A hairiness developed in the male direction can have several underlying causes.

In diseases with increased hairiness may cause other symptoms due to high levels of male hormone. It may be deeper voice, enlargement of the clitoris, increased muscle mass and decreased breast size.

There may also be skin changes, altered distribution of fat on the body and mental changes like depression . If these symptoms occur with increased hair growth, recommended further investigations to identify the cause.

How common is increased hairiness / hirsutism?

It is estimated that ca. 5% of all women of childbearing age have hirsutism.

What causes hirsutism?

In ca. half of the cases, there is no illness or underlying cause of the increased hair growth (idiopathic hirsutism). Increased hair growth occurs familial or certain ethnic groups. Woman has a normal menses and ovaries are normal. The only thing you can find is that the woman has a higher level of male sex hormones than normal. In other cases, it is estimated that the hair follicles are more sensitive to the male hormones than in others.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the second most common cause of hirsutism. It is a state of change in the ovaries, which means that the normal hormonal balance is disturbed.

The condition starts in the 15-25 age group and affects 5-10% of women of menstruating age. It comes creeping, characterized by irregular bleeding, rare menstrual periods, possibly. cessation of menstrual periods, hirsutism, obesity and acne. At a gynecological ultrasound examination, there may be many small cysts in the ovaries and blood tests will show elevated levels of male sex hormone.

Rarer causes are hormonal changes due to other disorders of the ovaries, adrenal glands or the pituitary. You can read more about here .

What are the symptoms of increased hairiness / hirsutism?

When women develop abnormal hairiness in places other than the armpit and abdomen, it is called hirsutism.

In the face there is often talk about body hair on the cheeks, upper lip and chin.

On the body there can be hair growth between the breasts, at the bottom of the stomach and on the back.

The hair growth on the arms and legs become more powerful.

What symptoms should you pay particular attention to?

If at the same time with increased hair growth, there are other signs of increased male hormone changes in the voice, enlarged clitoris, increased muscle mass and decreased breast size. There may also be skin changes, altered distribution of fat on the body and mental changes like depression . It may also be that simultaneously occurring changes in menstrual pattern either terminated or irregular periods.

How is it diagnosed?

It will be made based on your history, hairiness, gynecological examination including ultrasound examination of the ovaries and through blood tests in which the amount of male hormone is related to the female hormones.

How to deal with increased hairiness / hirsutism?

If the state has a triggering cause, treatment will be given to this. In the most common “idiopathic” type cosmetic aids can be used. This includes:

• shave
• Hair Removal Cream
• Removing hair with tweezers
• laser Treatment
• Electrolysis

Shaving or hair removal does not lead to stronger growth of hair, but hair that is growing out, can seem more obvious. Some parts of the country may be obtained for hair removal in the face with laser, but there are different arrangements in each region.

In PCOS, a treatment with the pill decrease the amount of the male sex hormone and hair growth will slow. The pill has no great impact on the hair that is already formed, but will slow the development of excessive hair. It may take 3-6 months before any visible effect. In some cases, you will select a special pill that contains a hormone that directly counteract the male hormone. Treatment with oral contraceptives will also have an effect on acne and impure skin.

How is long-term prospects?

Hirsutism can affect one’s self-confidence and no treatment can get hair to completely disappear.

In most cases, treatment will slowly help to reduce hårmængden, to the great satisfaction for the women involved.

Electrolysis and laser treatment is expensive, but effective methods of permanent hair removal.

How do I avoid or worsen increased hairiness / hirsutism?

If you are overweight, you may want to lose weight, as it will decrease the amount of male hormone and thus reduce symptoms.